Everyone loves macaroni salad–it’s an absolute picnic, cookout and Fourth of July staple that no one will refuse!

What your friends and family won’t realize is the nutrient bounty packed in this salad…

Nutrifying Macaroni Salad

Yeah, there’s a whole lot of plants in here!

red onion

red bell pepper

carrots

yellow bell pepper

celery

diced jalapeno (if you like it hot)

There are 5 cups of chopped raw veggies packed into this pasta salad recipe! Plus another 1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds.

That’s a bonafide serving of phytonutrients that you usually won’t find in a SAD (Standard American Diet) macaroni salad recipe. Add to that a delicious oil-free, low-sodium, vegan mayo and we are making serious headway in the nutrification process!

Make it Ahead–It Tastes Even Better the Next Day!

I have a prepping habit addiction.

The easier a recipe is to make and the longer it stores in the fridge only increases it’s value in my eyes!

That’s why this recipe is such a gem! You can chop all your veggies up to two nights before you serve this salad! I like to make the salad the night before I’m serving it so all the flavors can meld together.

As long as you make sure to cook your pasta al dente, the leftovers will last for up to 5 days in the fridge and still taste amazing (I had to eat quite a few batches of this recipe and you’ll soon see why)!

Introducing My Very First YouTube Recipe Video Ever:

It was so much fun figuring out how to shoot a recipe video! And, yes, there was a whole lot of figuring going on for me.

Now that I’ve gotten my first two videos done (I’ll be sharing the next one when I get back from vacay!), I’m starting to refine my approach and I have an amazing line up of video content I can’t wait to share with you!

Please take a moment to subscribe to my YouTube channel here! After I get my first 100 subscribers I can get a custom channel name–right now it’s a very unappealing and forgettable “UCOLWRfK4jTqPFM4Cqp4PrZg”, lol.

My Macaroni Salad Evolution

This recipe is proof that nutrifying your favorite meals works!

See, I made a vegan version of recipe a few years ago, you can see it in the archives here. The only problem was it was made with vegan mayo (which is straight-up machine-whipped oil), a combination of white and wheat macaroni noodles, and plenty of salt.

Could I eat the vegan version and still conform to Dr. Fuhrman’s recommendations? Sure, if I were following is 90/10 rule I could have a small portion of the vegan macaroni salad and it would fall under that 100-calories of low-nutrient foods.

But I don’t like little portions.

I’d rather stack my plate up with this nutritarian version and not skip a beat!

See, the whole no-calorie-counting thing is a major turn-on for me–I always say portion control is for the birds!

Hi, I’m Kristen! I adopted a nutritarian lifestyle over six years ago and I've been sharing my experiences ever since. I’ve found that a successful life stems from eating to live and it’s my mission to make this lifestyle doable for everyone who’s ready to end their issues with troubled eating, weight gain and food-related disease!

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Discussion

Nora Bethsays:

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
I recently came back to the nutritarian lifestyle. I found your website, again, thank you, and am back on track. You have helped me to organize my Meal planning and have shared tasty recipes, all of which have made this time feel, dare I say, easy!! I am down 30 pounds and counting. I have a ways to go, but with your help, I now feel more confident.

I can’t wait to put this macaroni salad in front of our family. They think my husband and I are crazy for eating this way. You are very much appreciated in our house.

Yes, if you can’t find the green lentil pasta you could certainly use whole wheat, just keep in mind you’re going to want to portion it out if you’re following the 6-week plan, since we can only have 1 cup of whole grains daily!

Hi Kristen! The last time i commented on a post i hated vegetables! That was months ago but now i am beginning to enjoy salads and many of your recipes! I have lost 27 lbs and am devoted to this lifestyle! My question is, Do you have a book coming out soon? I would love that! Thx for all your help!
Taxi

Loved the video! One of the things I liked is the speed, not too fast but fast enough. Funny but some videos for food run through without giving you a chance to follow. Pictures are nice and bright, very enticing. This looks like a good one and hoping to fix it soon. I don’t usually comment on a recipe until I try it but I did want you to know I enjoyed the video and keep them coming.

Oh my gosh–you have no idea how awesome it is to hear that you liked the video, Tamar!! I can’t thank you enough for leaving your feedback on this–it’s new creative process for me and wonderful to know it’s translating!!

Went to a dinner party tonight and brought this, everyone loved that it was healthy. I think it’s smart to tell everyone so they don’t expect a mayonnaise taste. I’m happy to have this as a substantial side dish too, as it can get to feel like leaves are the only thing in the stomach after a while. All the crunch is great. I think I’ll throw jalapeno in next time.

I made this dish tonight and it was quite tasty! I like my macaroni salad a bit twangy so I added a bit more vinegar and mustard. Best part is that my hubby also gave it two thumbs up! Thanks for sharing. Your recipes are so inspiring!

We are trying to introduce my parents to plant based eating. We used the barbecue sauce for open face bbq sandwiches. Toasted gf bread, tempeh, bbq sauce, sliced onion, Dijon mustard :-). The macaroni salad was the perfect side dish. We also had your citrus dressing with kale salad. Everyone raved about the meal, so I’d say it was a hit!

Grab my FREE 38-page get-started plan!

Receive "The 7-Day Salad Cleanse" plan for free when you sign up for my weekly email newsletter! I share how adding more salad to your existing diet will help you get healthier and lose weight–you pick your pace and follow 4 easy rules!